The present invention relates to a paint roller with handle apparatus using a tubular paint applicator and providing both the means for granting a swiveling movement of the paint applicator related to the handle, and the means for locking the tubular paint applicator against axial displacement.
Adjustable paint rollers are well known, such as in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,273,192; 4,196,491; 5,207,755; 5,903,952; 6,702,727; 7,213,294.
One of the major inconveniences of all of those adjustable paint rollers is that they require intervention of the operator to set the desirable angle, which causes work interruption.
Another inconvenience is that, because the adjusting may only be done in a few predetermined rigid positions, the angle of adjusting is fixed until a new adjusting will be done.
Another inconvenience is that, because the angle of adjusting is rigid, the pressure between the paint applicator and the surface to be painted is not even.
Solutions have been developed to offer rotatable support of a tubular paint applicator such in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,520,863; 2,749,599; 2,982,010; 4,897,893; 4,937,909; 5,345,648.
The attempt of those solutions to retain the paint applicator against axial displacement is based on frictional engagement of the plastic or wire cage with the inner of the paint applicator sleeve. Because the friction is not enough, an axial displacement of the paint applicator occurs during operation causing work interruption for repositioning.
Therefore, other solutions provide an additional axial retainer, such in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,316,301; 4,467,509; 5,755,004; 5,806,129; 6,128,802.
However, the inconvenience of these solutions may reside in the difficulty to insert and remove the paint applicator; at some the retainer is detachable and can be lost, and some require additional tools.